Plan for your assisted living business to include many different activities

Whether you're designing a new assisted living facility or simply working to better your current one, it's important to make sure that your clients have plenty of activities to keep them busy. These activities need to be both active and passive. Some can include community-organized activities such as cards and bingo. You might also consider pairing with a local recreation facility to allow your clients to swim, take aerobics classes, or even teach a hobby to a group of children.

I recommend: Assisted Living Success is an online resource for owners of long-term care facilities. They offer a variety of success stories and options for creating activity and recreation programs.

Build your assisted living facilities to allow for a variety of housing options

If you're building a new facility or renovating an old one, it's important to have multiple living arrangements for residents. Many couples are moving into assisted living facilities together but want to have some space apart as well; for these couples, two-bedroom units are necessary. Multiple-bedroom options also are necessary for friends or siblings who want to live together. By offering more than just one-bedroom units exclusively, you can expand your client base considerably.

I recommend: SFCS, a leading designer of senior living communities, offers experience in a variety of floor plans and multiple-bedroom units.

Offer either an on-site skilled nursing facility or network with local nursing homes

Unfortunately, the sad truth about the majority of assisted living clients is that they will eventually need the assistance of a more medically intensive environment. It's therefore important to many of your clients that you show them that you offer a way to transition to this phase of their lives as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. Whether you do this by offering your own in-house nursing home or you work to link with other local convalescent homes, you can work to reassure your clients that they will be able to maintain their connection with their friends and loved ones in the assisted living facility when they need more skilled care.

I recommend: The AARP is an indispensable resource to seniors and their families on transitioning among various housing options, and it can help you understand what your clients need.